THE STORY: MONSTER. A violent family history passes from one generation to the next. The narrator, a young woman, uses stories, poetry and characters to introduce and juxtapose situations. Through her powerful eyes we witness violence, friendship, alienation, family love and loyalty.
“Scorching…terrible and touching…M. Orlandersmith is herself wholly original, a riveting combatant in a story, like all war stories, that stamps her as one who has been there.” —The New York Times.
“[Orlandersmith’s] depictions of the characters in her native East Harlem neighborhood—some broken, some on the way down—are passionate and full of insight. —The New Yorker.
Included in the collection
The Gimmick and Other Plays.
